This invention relates to portable illuminating devices, and more particularly to a lip actuated illuminating device.
There are presently on the market aviator's and military vehicle operator's night vision systems which enable pilots to fly helicopters or drive armored vehicles even in the darkest of night conditions without illumination. However, in order to be able to use the available night vision systems it is necessary to turn off the illuminating means for the various gauges used in the cockpit of a helicopter or vehicle. The reason for this is that the illuminating devices are so bright that the night vision goggles used would be blown out or otherwise adversely affected or compromised by the overloading of the illumination from the gauges. That is, the illumination from the gauges, when taken in directly by the goggles, overloads the light amplification circuitry in the goggles and thereby turns off the goggles.
Accordingly, an important problem for pilots and vehicle operators using a night vision system at night is that various gauges that must still be monitored during flight or vehicle operation cannot be seen in the dark. Also, even if the night vision goggles are turned off or taken off, it is still imperative that the illumination of the gauges does not enable the aircraft or vehicle to be seen at night from outside the aircraft or vehicle when used clandestinely.
There is, therefore, a need to provide illumination for pilots or armored vehicle personnel in confined spaces such as the cockpit of an aircraft or interior of an armored vehicle where the instrument lights provide reduced or impaired vision when used in conjunction with night vision glasses. Since the aircraft or vehicle requires two hands to operate, it is also important that such an illumination device be attached to the helmet mounted microphone of the pilot or vehicle operator for actuation by the lip or tongue.